What are trolls?
The 2nd of the 3 levels of spirit is called Fylgia in Old Norse. It manifests in a mastery of skills and ability through devotion, honour, Fame, glory, opinion and choice. This element of spirit pre-exists our earthly bodies and can be inherited from our ancestors for us to improve upon or detract from depending on how we live our lives (the 3rd level of spirit also lives on after death if you progress that far). Fylgia lives on after the death of our bodies. “Cattle die, kindred die, you shall also die but the good name never dies of one who has earned glory” (Odin – Havamal).
Interestingly in our ancestor’s languages, they often used the same word to describe this element of the spirit as was used to name the umbilical cord, suggesting a connection of the spirit between family members and taken one step further, a connection to folk/race. This spiritual connection to family is one of the reasons why we venerate our ancestors. Examples of venerating our ancestors can be found in Alflblot, Disir blot and mothers night. Halloween is essentially ancestor veneration too. Note - ancestor veneration, not ancestor worship - there is a difference.
In some European traditions, this level of the spirit was represented by an animal. In later years these animals would appear on the family coat of arms. In modern times when the silly wicca types talk about a spirit animal, this is where that idea comes from. It is also suggested that the Berserkers would connect with their animal spirit in this way. I've noticed that many of the Icelandic Sagas suggest that only people from certain family lines could become Berserkers.
In certain circumstances some people make bad decisions and fail to evolve their Fylgia. The individual then shames their name and perhaps betrays their family or tribe to the extent that nothing of them will live on after death in midgard. the Fylgia will break contact with the individual that was born to it. In shame, the Fylgia will wander off and become very depressed and angry because it now has no contact with anyone. No one can see the fylgia, no one can interact with it. Stressed and angry after failing to interact physically or otherwise with any other being the Fylgia goes to a forest and haunts the forest and is drawn to rocks and stone as they never move, They are constant over the centuries.
Over many years the fylgia gets angry and snaps at passing humans. One day the fylgia realises that it can speak or make sounds that some humans can hear. It is whilst repeatedly trying to scare humans like this that the Fylgia realises that it feels elated and strong as though it has just fed on the fear of the human. The Fylgia repeats until it has fed and gathered enough strength from fear to attain physical form. At first it can only attain physical form some of the time but over the years gets so strong it can choose when to hold its physical form or not but only at night when humans fear is at its height. The troll is born.
Trolls are often stuck in one location. They cant gain physical form if they leave that area and even then, only at night. Often it is a small woodland with a stream or river running through it, a bridge over a river or a path in the woods near to rocks, caves, mountains or stone structures. They got so used to gaining physical form where humans travel so they could feed from their fear that they can't go anywhere else. For a while the new born troll feasts on the flesh of men but it doesn't always quench its hunger.
The troll remembers how its human used to gather wealth so copies this behaviour. Greed was one of the many failings of its human so it is all the troll knows. This is why some trolls charge a fee to humans who want to cross the trolls bridge or walk upon the trolls path / cross roads in the woods, mountains etc. It normally always happens at night when humans are most afraid and the trolls can feed upon that fear. Some humans give the trolls more strength and sustenance from feeding on their fear than they would feeding upon the humans flesh. In the day time some trolls turn to stone. This is one of the reasons they like bridges and large rocks in the woods, caves and mountains, basically so when they turn to stone they could hold onto real rocks etc and not look out of place. They are most vulnerable when in stone form as they can't fight or run etc. There are many places within Norway named after the creatures, from the Trollstigen mountain pass to the famous Trolltunga (Troll's Tongue) rock formation.
In old Icelandic Sagas, Norse-Trolls are generally described as ugly, wearing rags and sometimes having various deformities like scarred flesh, darkened complexion, or in some rare cases several heads or arms. They are ugly, like the failed human that they used to be a companion to. Trolls in later xtian folk tales were always afraid of lightning. This stems from the old stories where the God Thor often did battle with trolls, slaying them wherever he could. On that note it is worth mentioning that trolls are different to Jotan / Ettens and giants.
Small Trolls are more advanced than their massive cousins, and they have more tricks up their sleeves. Female huldras, for example, have beautiful voices that mimic wind and falling water. They can lure men into the wilderness with their sweet songs. Others have minor magical abilities that can make humans fall asleep, lose track of time, see visions of treasure, etc. The female trolls are able to mimic the human voice as well so people think that their friend is calling them, only to fall into the trolls trap. In old Swedish law, trolleri was a particular kind of magic intended to do harm that was learned from trolls.
Trolls call me
moon of dwelling-Rungnir,
giant’s wealth-sucker,
storm sun’s bale,
seeress’s friendly companion,
guardian of corpse-fiord,
swallower of heaven-wheel;
what is a troll other than that?
So in conclusion, trolls are a deformed, mutated part of a humans spirit that failed to achieve any spiritual enlightenment. In a way, they are similar to Elves which are spirits of the noble dead.
References:
Ármann Jakobsson (2008). "The Trollish Acts of Þorgrímr the Witch: The Meanings of Troll and Ergi in Medieval Iceland" in Saga-Book 32 (2008)
Orchard, Andy (1997). Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend
Thorpe, Benjamin (1851). Northern Mythology, Compromising the Principal Traditions and Superstitions of Scandinavia, North Germany, and the Netherlands
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